SYNOPSIS: When the deck's stacked against you, it pays to keep a few aces up your sleeve.  Actor Frank Whaley makes his writing/directing debut with this unflinching, loosely auto-biographical look at Joe Henry, a sensitive but tough working class kid who struggles valiantly to survive the colossal road blocks fate has placed in his path.  The star-studded cast features Val Kilmer as Joe's drunken, abusive father, John Leguizamo as a cynical busboy at the local greasy spoon, Karen Young as Joe's burnt-out mother a and Ethan Hawke as his inept guidance councilor.  With shattering honesty and unforgettable characters, Joe the King will command a permanent place in your heart.

EDITORIAL REVIEW: I decided to add Joe the King to our library because some time ago we posed a poll question to our members.  Joe the King was featured prominently in the poll (specifically the nude scene with Peter Tambakis) and after 2 weeks, many responded that they had never seen the movie.  Which is quite surprising, considering the amount of star-power this film packs (at least at the time - which was the late 1990's) and its position in the realm of coming of age movies.  The named actors and content aside, what you have is a story that some can relate to and performances that are quite realistic - especially from the young cast.

Noah Fleiss plays Joe, a white-trash petty thief living a miserable life and surrounded by miserable people.  Joe's daily routine often revolves around avoiding his equally trashy parents while doing whatever he can to make a few bucks.  Joe works "under the table" at a greasy spoon, run by equally greasy people.  The bonus for Joe, though, is that the little money he makes he can spend on something other than food because working as a dishwasher in a restaurant allows you to eat all the table scraps you want.  Plus, he's found out a little secret about the owners of the greasy spoon which will ultimately be the cause of his hitting rock bottom.  Joe's circle of friends include his older brother Mike, who's shy and desperately trying hard to get out of this trashy lifestyle he's stuck in through no fault of his own.  There's Ray (portrayed by James Costa, who played a similar character in L.I.E.), who's sarcasm and whit seems to get him and those who hang around him in a lot of trouble.  And there's Jorge (played brilliantly by John Leguizamo), the suave busboy of the greasy spoon who looks out for Joe more like a big brother than a friend.  Along with a not-so-close group for so called friends, Joe the King essentially walks us through a few days in his life as he unknowingly leads himself to a crossroads.

The special features of the DVD include commentary by first time director Frank Whaley (you may not recognize the name, but the face you'll know - he's one of those actors where you say, "oh ya, I've seen him before").  The commentary (like most DVD commentary), gives us a little more insight into the filmmaking process and a lot about the character development of the young cast (makes sense, since Whaley is known more for his acting than directing).  For example, was the Peter Tambakis nude scene real or fake ;-) ?

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* This DVD will play in North America only.  This DVD should play in most players outside of North America as well, but it's not guaranteed. This DVD will play in any computer DVD-Rom.  This is NOT a DVD-R.

STARRING: Noah Fleiss, Peter Tambakis, John Leguizamo, Ethan Hawke, Val Kilmer.
DIRECTOR: Frank Whaley.
AVAILABILITY: In stock! Ships within one business day.
LENGTH: 93 minutes.
LANGUAGE: English, with OPTIONAL ENGLISH / FRENCH / SPANISH SUBTITLES.
SPECIAL FEATURES: 1.33:1 (4:3 Letterboxed); 5.1 Dolby Surround; 1 disc; Chapter selection; Anatomy of a scene; Trailer; Uncut.
VIEWER DISCRETION: Brief nudity, coarse language, violence.
PICTURE QUALITY: Excellent picture quality. (what's this mean?)
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA (1999).
ALSO KNOWN AS:  Pleasant View Avenue (working title).
DATE ADDED TO OUR LIBRARY:  January 1, 2010.